gumshoe

[guhm-shoo] /ˈgʌmˌʃu/
noun
1.
Slang. a detective.
2.
a shoe made of gum elastic or India rubber; rubber overshoe.
3.
sneaker (def 1).
verb (used without object), gumshoed, gumshoeing.
4.
Slang.
  1. to work as a detective.
  2. to go softly, as if wearing rubber shoes; move or act snoopily or stealthily.
Origin
1860-65, Americanism; gum1 + shoe
British Dictionary definitions for gumshoe

gumshoe

/ˈɡʌmˌʃuː/
noun
1.
a waterproof overshoe
2.
(US & Canadian) a rubber-soled shoe
3.
(US & Canadian, slang) a detective or one who moves about stealthily
4.
(US & Canadian, slang) a stealthy action or movement
verb -shoes, -shoeing, -shoed
5.
(intransitive) (US & Canadian, slang) to act stealthily
Word Origin and History for gumshoe
n.

"plainclothes detective," 1906, from the rubber-soled shoes they wore (which were so called from 1863); from gum (n.1) + shoe (n.).

Slang definitions & phrases for gumshoe

gumshoe

noun

(Variations: gum boot or gumfoot or gumheel or gumshoe man) A police officer, esp a detective or plainclothes officer: It made him a good gumshoe

verb
  1. (also gumheel) To work as a police officer or detective: Still gumheeling?
  2. o walk a police beat: Police now ride prowl cars instead of gumshoeing around the block
  3. To walk quietly and stealthily

[1906+; fr gumshoe, ''rubber-soled shoe'']